First time on rollers!!! How was your first time!!

[HillSlugger]

I sweat much more riding the rollers as compared to the trainer; it's definitely harder but it definitely improves your form.

[jessica47201]

Well it's raining here in Indiana still, so I tried out the rollers again. I really do like roller. I'm nowhere near being able to do 12 miles, 4 miles today kicked my a$$. My husband thinks they are dangerous, and doesn't want anything to do with them, he won't even watch me on them. Unfortunatly these roller are not mine and I'm going to have to give them back, but I am so going to get me some for the winter months!!

[Aint Doody]

I love mine, too. And I certainly feel it's a harder workout than a regular trainer or even riding on the road. There's more resistance than just gliding over a flat road. I find that I have to pay way more attention to what I'm doing. And, Tokie, I know what you mean about watching cycling on TV while riding. I find myself starting to lean into the curves,too!

I can't do much coasting--maybe for just a second or 2 while I readjust where my booty is on the saddle. I still grab the furniture when I need to get a drink. I can change the channels on the television and scratch my nose.

[HillSlugger]

I love mine, too. And I certainly feel it's a harder workout than a regular trainer or even riding on the road. There's more resistance than just gliding over a flat road. I find that I have to pay way more attention to what I'm doing. And, Tokie, I know what you mean about watching cycling on TV while riding. I find myself starting to lean into the curves,too!

I can't do much coasting--maybe for just a second or 2 while I readjust where my booty is on the saddle. I still grab the furniture when I need to get a drink. I can change the channels on the television and scratch my nose.

I can usually take a drink while riding the rollers but I can't work the remote!

I'm way more tense on the rollers than on the road.

[ilima]

I prefer rollers to a trainer as well. Plus, I worry I may be damaging my frame with a trainer.

I have to admit I normally ride in a doorway, though!

[Tuckervill]

What happens if you lose control on the rollers? Does your front wheel turn and get stuck between the rollers? Do you just end up with the bike skidding out between your legs? Can you go over the bars?

I would love to have some rollers, but I'm skeered.

Karen

[jessica47201]

Well, I'm pretty new to the rollers. When I lose control, most of the time my front wheel will go off the side of the rollers and as long as I'm not clipped in or I can get clipped out fast enough I usually catch myself with my feet. But I do have th roller set up next to a wall and on the other side is a chair or bench because I need a boost to get up on my bike, the rollers sit my bike up like 3 inches. So I can catch myself with the wall or the chair also. I've never went over, except only when I was sitting at a stand still and I leaned forward and put to much weight on my handle bars, but once I get going, I've never had that problem. If you go onto Youtube and look up "bicycle roller" there are some pretty good videos to watch and I don't mean educational, hilarious!!!

[parity]

What happens if you lose control on the rollers? Does your front wheel turn and get stuck between the rollers? Do you just end up with the bike skidding out between your legs? Can you go over the bars?

I would love to have some rollers, but I'm skeered.

Karen

Some rollers have bumpers on the front so if your front wheel moves too far to the right or left it will stop. Without the bumpers you will potentially fall over. The ones I have have the bumpers and its good because sometimes I am zoning out and lose concentration and they just stop the front wheel from sliding off. I did 45 mins last night on my rollers because it was raining in the morning and didn't have anytime after work to ride outdoors. And its impossible to go over the bars.

[TxDoc]

I prefer rollers to a trainer as well. Plus, I worry I may be damaging my frame with a trainer.

If I remember correctly, that has been proven to be a myth. They did a study a while back, road riding VS trainer riding, and basically the result was that the stress to the frame and the component is exactly the same. So this should give peace of mind to those that were concerned about using their carbon frames on the trainer. I can't remember which group did the testing, but I have the impression that it may have been BMC. Not sure though...

[malkin]

I love my rollers too, especially since they were a new trick for this old malkin. I don't do anything remotely tricky and my bum does get more tired, because I am rather anchored to my position.

I always roll in the hall. For a year I was terrified of what would happen if I rolled off, but then my husband tried the rollers and discovered that rolling off results in a tremendous clattering of bike in the hall, but no harm done.

I sometimes catch my balance with my hand or shoulder to the wall, but one time I did get too engrossed in a recording of Brandenburg Concertos, and ended up off the rollers, where I also made a tremendous clattering, but apart from disrupting the music, no harm. I clipped out fine, and ended up standing up, holding the bike.

I think riding rollers has improved my balance on and off the bike.

This winter on the tandem we hit a nasty patch of ice on the road, and much to our mutual surprise, we did not fall. Was it angelic intervention or skill developed by riding rollers? Either one qualifies as miraculous to me.